1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image pickup apparatus such as a camera and a photometer, and in particular to image pickup apparatus and a photometer which can perform photometry with a wide dynamic range.
2. Description of the Related Art
A photometer described in JP-A-6-130462 is known as a related art, which is mounted on image pickup apparatus such as a digital still camera. The conventional photometer alternately performs photometry where the charge storage time of photoreceptors such as CCDs is longer (that is, photometry which focuses on low intensity of light) and photometry where the charge storage time of a photoreceptor is shorter (photometry which focuses on high intensity of light) so as to allow photometry with a wide dynamic range.
The conventional photometer alternately performs the high-intensity-oriented photometry and the low-intensity-oriented photometry to allow photometry with a wide dynamic range. However, there is a problem that it takes time to determine an exposure value after the release button is touched (depressed lightly), since the photometer frequently changes the charge storage time to perform photometry.